Gradient Investments LLC Acquires Shares of 270,743 Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Gradient Investments LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 270,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,036,000. Gradient Investments LLC owned approximately 0.83% of Papa John’s International as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of PZZA. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Papa John’s International by 4.1% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 399,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,423,000 after purchasing an additional 15,892 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth about $309,000. WBI Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 46.5% during the 2nd quarter. WBI Investments LLC now owns 37,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,852,000 after purchasing an additional 12,004 shares in the last quarter. Dean Capital Management grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 45.7% in the 1st quarter. Dean Capital Management now owns 62,151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,553,000 after buying an additional 19,488 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,060,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Mizuho upgraded shares of Papa John’s International to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $50.00 price target (down previously from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.50.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $40.97 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $44.69 and its 200-day moving average is $46.16. The company has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.58, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 1.16. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $30.16 and a 52-week high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $508.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $523.67 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.79% and a negative return on equity of 13.54%. Papa John’s International’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.43 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 EPS for the current year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 164.29%.

Papa John’s International Profile

Papa John’s International, Inc engages in the operation and franchise of pizza delivery and carryout restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Domestic Company-owned Restaurants, North America Franchising, North America Commissaries, International Operations, and All Others. The Domestic Company-Owned Restaurants segment consists of retail sales of pizza and side items, breadsticks, cheese sticks, chicken poppers and wings, dessert items, and canned and bottled beverages.